JESUS’ RADICAL DEMAND THAT HE BECOMES THE CENTRE OF OUR LIVES

XX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Lk 12:49-53

Do not expect an easy life

Although he came to bring salvation to the world, Jesus did not come to bring an easy life, and his followers are faced with hard choices. Jesus told his disciples that they must “enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Mt 7:13-14).

Jeremiah’s life a prophecy of Jesus Christ

This Sunday's readings bring this out very clearly. Prophet Jeremiah, whose life is like a prophecy of Jesus, suffered persecution for his boldness, his courage and his faithfulness in carrying out the mission received from God. He was accused of treason, just because, guided by the Spirit, he was able to read the political situation realistically and advised to accept the less evil of surrender instead of total destruction.

Like Jeremiah, Jesus was rejected, accused and found guilty of blasphemy and treason. He accepted his suffering and death and offered them as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. He did not go blindly into death. He knew that his way of life and the faithfulness to his mission would lead him to shameful death. He said: "There is a baptism I must still receive", meaning the baptism of his passion and death.

Jesus’ message is like a sword

Although he came as a Prince of peace, his message is like a sword (Mt 10:34) that separates and divides people, between those who accept Him and live by his values and those who reject Him and are ready to destroy Him. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are forced to make hard choices in our lives. And those choices may put us in conflict with society in general, with our neighbours and even with our own close relatives.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Mt 10:37) and "whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14:26). Jesus demands to be the number one in our lives, and nothing at all can supersede him. If we accept Jesus Christ, we have to accept this radical demand that he becomes the centre of our lives, and by accepting it, we will be in conflict with everything that resents or rejects his primacy.

Jesus came to bring fire here on earth, a purifying fire that destroys and consumes everything that is unworthy of God's glory.